1. Field of the Invention
This application relates generally to weatherstripping, and more particularly to a snap in weatherstripping that eases the installation and replacement of weatherstripping for windows, doors, and other members.
2. Description of Related Art
Weatherstripping is commonly used to seal windows, doors, and similar structures from air, moisture, sound, mold, dust, and pest infiltration. Weatherstripping creates a barrier that typically deforms sufficiently to allow the window or door to open and close properly, but creates a somewhat impervious barrier. There are many types of weatherstripping on the market, including brass or metal strips, felt strips, blown rubber and extruded rubber strips, and brush or pile strips.
Brush weatherstripping is commonplace, and relies on a pile made of polypropylene or similar fibrous material. Oftentimes brush weatherstripping has a backing that can be inserted in a slot that traverses either the perimeter of the fenestration or the door or window placed in the fenestration. The slot may be a T shaped channel that accommodates the backing of the weatherstripping. The weatherstripping backing is commonly pushed longitudinally into the channel where it is held in place. As more of the weatherstripping length is inserted into the channel and pushed along longitudinally for placement, friction increases and it becomes progressively harder to push longer pieces of weatherstripping into the channel. When a window, door or similar structure is produced, this may not represent a hardship, as automation equipment may be employed to place the weatherstripping into the channel. Unfortunately, weatherstripping does not last forever, and eventually requires replacement. When the time comes to replace channelized weatherstripping, it is often difficult to place new weatherstripping into the existing channel of the window or door assembly. The channel may have deformed ever so slightly over time, or may contain dirt and debris that interfere with the smooth sliding of the weatherstripping into the channel. Or the previous weatherstripping may have been so far deteriorated that removal of the previous weatherstripping left fragments behind in the channel. All of these difficulties make the replacement of channelized weatherstripping an unsavory and sometimes problematic undertaking.
What is needed is a channelized weatherstripping that does not rely on the longitudinal insertion of the weatherstripping backing into a channel. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a weatherstripping with a novel backing that can be snapped into an existing weatherstripping channel without longitudinal insertion. It is another object of the present invention to provide a weatherstripping with a flexible yet strong backing that can be snapped into an existing weatherstripping channel. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a weatherstripping that can be easily installed as a replacement weatherstripping.
These and other objects of the present invention will be further brought to light upon reading this specification and claims and viewing the attached drawings.